One-truck owner-operator Richard Yeager, based in Northeast Tennessee, grew up in the trucking business and has been doing it himself “as long as I’ve been able to get around the truck,” he said.
His bread-and-butter haul today is running shrubbery out of North Carolina. With the early-year increases in fuel that were taking shape around the time of the 2026 Mid-America Trucking Show when Overdrive caught up with him, Yeager said his customers had been good about raising rates rates to cover the cost.
His daily driver in the business is a 1999 Peterbilt 379, but his side project is what took center stage at MATS -- the 1954 International RDC-405 featured in the video up top. He also owns a 1951 International that was his father’s truck, but it’s all original.
Richard Yeager
In fact, the only thing about the truck that’s still International are the cab and fenders. Yeager’s owned the original truck for about 25 years, but he totally transformed it over the last eight.
When Yeager’s father passed away, “I decided I wanted to put this together, put it together my way,” Yeager said. “His is original, mine’s not.”
He found the old truck with a friend of his in Manchester, Tennessee, who had it in a barn for about 30 years. After some sandblasting and minor repairs, he took the cab off the frame and put it on a frame from a 1983 Peterbilt 359.
“There was only a few spots we had to fix on it,” he said of the cab. “That’s it. Other than that, the doors shut like a new one.”
Prior to the truck finding its way to a Tennessee barn, Yeager said the truck came out of Washington state, but he didn’t know what kind of work it did. It was originally gas-powered with a single rear axle.
In addition to the frame, the rig has “all Peterbilt harnesses, air blocks, everything,” Yeager said.
He also added a custom bumper and a custom visor that Yeager tilted down unlike the straight-out visor that would have been on the truck originally.
On the back of the cab, the positioning of the stacks and breathers are of Yeager’s own design, as well.
“I put them where I wanted them instead of looking like factory,” he said. “I put them on there where I thought it looked great.”
All of the work on the truck -- paint, fabrication, interior -- was done in-house by Yeager himself when he’s not on the road trucking.
Yeager took the old interior out and made new, though sticking with a factory look. The biggest piece left to finish: button-tuck all around.
The rig’s powered by a 400 Big Cam Cummins with a 15 speed and 3.55 rears.
Yeager built the rig strictly for show -- "I'm 60 years old and I want to enjoy it," he said. "I don't get to go on many vacations. It's all about trucking."
[Related: Salvage to show: The 'Curb Appeal' 2022 Peterbilt 389]
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Overdrive: Is this, you know, pretty close to how it would have looked in ‘54. Or is this your take on it?
Richard Yeager: No, it's my take on it. It was a single axle. It wasn't this high. It's somewhat original. The cab and the fenders. But you know me, I like custom.
Overdrive: There you go.
Richard Yeager: Richard Yeager, I haul shrubbery out of North Carolina.
Overdrive: How long have you been in the trucking business?
Richard Yeager: All my life, as long as I've been able to get around the truck.
Overdrive: Yeah, well, tell me about this truck behind you.
Richard Yeager: It's a 1954 international. I set it on a ‘83 model 359 frame. Got a 400 Cummins, 15 speed, 3.55s. We've been eight years working on it.
Overdrive: How did you come to own it?
Richard Yeager: My daddy had one when he was 15. Then he bought one 12 years ago. It's setting at house. And now we got two more sitting at home. And after he passed away, I decided I want to put this together. Put it together my way. His is original, mine's not.
Overdrive: Tell me about the build process. What kind of work have you done to it?
Richard Yeager: Everything from the frame rails up. Inside, outside. We put all Peterbilt harnesses in it. Everything's Peterbilt except the cab and the fenders. Basically, I set the cab on a 359 frame, and it's got all Peterbilt harnesses, Peterbilt air block, everything. And it's a job.
Overdrive: Yeah. What kind of shape was the cabin when you bought it?
Richard Yeager: We found a cab from a friend of ours down in Manchester, Tennessee. It had been in the barn for 30 years. Yeah, we sandblasted … there was only a few spots we had to fix on it. That's it. Other than that, the doors shut like a new one.
Overdrive: What’s some of the custom parts on it.
Richard Yeager: Custom parts, the bumper stacks, the breathers. I put them where I want them instead of looking like factory, you know. I put them on there to where I thought it looked great. Sun visor I put on it, I tilted the sun visor down the way I wanted it, because the factory ones are straight out.
Overdrive: Okay. Yeah. You’ve done a little bit of work with the interior, but you're still working on it?
Richard Yeager: It's got most of the… I had took the old interior and had them make new stuff that more looked factory, but I'm going to have it button tucked. Yeah, I like the look of a button tucked interior more, but that's down the road.
Overdrive: All right. What's the what's the plan with it after that? You just gonna take it to shows?
Richard Yeager: That's all I build it for his truck shows. I'm 60 years old, and I'm going to enjoy it. I don't get to go on many vacations. It's all about trucking. Yeah.
